For one night a year, the streets of downtown Toronto are packed with people and art. This was my third year going to Nuit Blanche. The first time, I was just fourteen and it was with my parents…not exactly the best time. Last year, I went with a few friends but I felt sick at around midnight after some questionable tasting coffee so I had to leave before I threw up my guts all over the street. This year however, I was inexplicably lucky.

Aside from a teeny bit of rain, the weather was mild and perfect. My school had an exhibit this year as well, which involved stringing secrets on lanterns and hanging them up from the ceiling. I was aiming to stay out all the way until sunrise, but only made it until 5am.

I went with a few friends, and we started the night out at Yonge and Dundas Square. There was an exhibit called Strangers which I didn’t fully understand, but the concept seemed interesting enough. We made our way to old City Hall and then Nathan Phillips Square, where there were six circular panels playing a video. Then we went to Bloor St. West where we visited UTS and the ROM, which surprisingly didn’t have an exhibit this year.

The final stop of our journey was University Avenue, which we walked to through Queen’s Park which was full of drum music. To be perfectly honest, although the art was great, the night was made because I was spending time friends (both new and old), because I experienced new things, and because wandering the streets of Toronto at 5am is crazy fun. If you guys have never been, it’s an event I highly recommend. Nuit Blanche 2013, I can hardly wait.

~ Aimee He